Sorry for the delay - hopefully the fact that this is a super jam packed chapter and it's a nice long chapter makes up for the wait.
The full version of this chapter can be read at:
www. thewriterscoffeeshop library / ? uid=60220
There is one whole extra scene over there... plus maybe just a little bit more ;) You guys know the drill... just remove the spaces.
I still don't own Criminal Minds... I know... it bums me out too.
Happy reading and enjoy :D ;) :D
JJ moved up the aisle in the dark cabin of the plane and settled in next to Spence, careful not to wake him. She lifted up the blanket covering him and slid underneath it to curl up next to him, resting her head on a combination of his shoulder and a pillow as she thought about the last couple of days.
She walked across the room to the end table where her phone sat and glanced at the caller ID. "Jareau" she answered after seeing that it was a work call. She glanced at Spence as she stood with one hand on her waist listening to the caller on the other end.
"JJ, I'm sorry to bother you at home." Her boss said over the phone, "but I need you to come in tonight. It's extremely important."
JJ blinked, as she tried to think what the meeting could be in regards to, "Uh, just a second." She placed her hand over the phone. "Spence, I have to go into work for a little bit. Are you okay staying with Henry?" she asked. She knew of course that the answer would be yes, but common courtesy deemed that she still ask.
Spence nodded, confusion crossing his face. "Of course JJ, I was staying anyway. We'll be fine."
JJ nodded, mouthed thank you to Spence, and blew him a kiss as she removed her hand from the receiver. "I'm on my way."
Knowing that time could be of the essence, JJ riffled through the laundry basket of clothes she'd just finished folding and pulled out a pair of jeans. She stripped off the lounge pants that she'd been wearing.
Spence stood frozen in place as he watched his girlfriend pull a quick change before heading off to whatever crisis awaited her at the Pentagon.
JJ smirked at the expression on Spence's face as she pulled her hair out of the neckline of the hoody she'd just pulled over her head. She walked over to Spence, leaned up on her tip toes and gave him a quick peck on the lips. "I'll be back as soon as I can, but just in case, don't wait up for me. You need to get some sleep baby." She said as she pulled away.
"I'll try, but don't be surprised if I'm still awake when you get home." Spence said as he watched JJ slip her feet into a pair of sneakers.
Spence was just getting out of the shower when his cell phone started to ring. He quickly wrapped a towel around his waist and headed into the bedroom where his phone sat on the nightstand. "Reid" he replied, answering quickly without checking the caller ID.
"Hey" JJ's voice came over the phone. "Quick question for you: Are your passports up to date?"
Spence's brow furrowed as he tried to figure out what was going on. "You know my official passport is JJ. It has to be kept up to date in case we ever have to leave the country for a case. I just renewed my regular passport a few months ago."
"Okay, I just needed to be sure." JJ replied. "You have some time off saved up, right?"
The furrow in Spence's brow deepened. "Of course I do. JJ, what's going on?" he asked.
"I promise I'll fill you in when I get home," JJ replied, "but for now, I need to make a couple other calls and line some things up."
JJ was pulled out of her thoughts by Spence stirring next to her.
"Hey" Spence murmured in a scratchy, broken voice as he blinked his eyes and looked down at JJ, lifting his hand to brush a few stray hairs out of her face.
"Hey, how was your nap?" she whispered softly, not wanting to wake any of the passenger in the neighboring seats.
"Good. How long have we been in the air?" he asked.
"A few hours." JJ replied.
Spence groaned as he stretched his legs out as much as possible. "I wish we were on the jet. I never realized how nice it is to have access to a private jet until now."
JJ ran her hand up and down his chest. "It's been a long travel day. I'm sure Henry would have preferred being able to run around as opposed to having to sit in a seat the whole time too."
"Henry isn't 6'3" JJ." Spence moaned as he continued his attempt to stretch his legs.
"No, but he is an energetic little 2 year old who was very excited for his first plane flight." JJ said as she rested her hand on her boyfriend's left thigh just above the knee and worked her fingers into the muscle. "Does that help?" she asked as she rubbed his leg.
"Yeah" Spence replied with a sigh of relief. "Henry was pretty excited wasn't he?"
JJ smiled. "Yeah he was."
"Mama wook at da pwane!" Henry said excitedly as he pointed out the window.
"I see baby boy." JJ said with a smile as they headed for the row of seats next to the windows so Henry could watch the planes.
"Hey buddy, look at that one." Spence said as he sat down in the seat next to JJ and pointed to a plane that was starting its take off down the runway.
"Whoa" Henry gasped as the planes wheels left the ground then he turned to look at Uncle Spence. "How it do dat?"
Spence tipped his head for a moment. With a PHD in engineering, he could certainly explain what made a plane fly, but how could he best explain so that Henry would understand. He turned and looked out the window at where the plane they'd be taking sat connected to the jet way. "See how the plane has wings?" Spence asked.
"Uh huh" Henry nodded his head.
"What else has wings?" Spence asked with a smile as he looked down at where his smart little godson sat in his Mommy's lap.
Henry got a thoughtful look on his face. "Duckies has wins" he replied.
"Very good Henry! You're right duckies do have wings. How about the bird we were watching in the backyard the other day. Did it have wings?" Spence asked with a smile.
"Uh huh he fwap dem weawwy fas!" Henry squeaked in an excited voice.
Spence nodded, his face getting expressive as he got absorbed into teaching Henry about science. "You're right the bird we watched the other day was flapping his wings really fast. That's what birds have to do to get the air to move over their wings."
"Oh" Henry replied as if he understood what Uncle Spence was talking about.
"The air moving over the wings is what lets birds and planes fly." Spence explained. "And since planes can't flap their wings really fast like a bird, they have to drive down the runway as fast as they can."
JJ smiled as she glanced down at Henry to see him completely enraptured in Spence's mini-science lesson.
"Den wut happen?" Henry asked.
"Well the air sort splits in half where it meets the wing of the plane." Spence explained as he pointed out the window at their plane. "Some of the air goes over the top of the wing, and some of the air goes underneath the wing. The air that goes underneath the wing lifts the plane up."
"Coow" Henry replied just as the first group was called for boarding the plane.
Henry's eyes grew wide at the loud sound of the engine as the plane picked up speed down the runway. His grip tightened on Mommy and Uncle Spence's hands who sat on either side of him in his excitement as he practically bounced in his seat. As he the plane lifted off the ground, he squealed in surprise and with absolute glee at the brief moment of weightlessness he felt.
Mommy and Uncle Spence smiled down at him.
"You liked that huh?" Mommy asked.
"Uh huh" Henry replied. "We do it adain?" he asked, causing a hearty chuckle from not only Mommy and Uncle Spence, but also the adults surrounding him in the nearby seats.
Eventually the seatbelt sign was turned off and JJ undid Henry's seatbelt, knowing that he was getting ancy from seating in one spot. "Come on baby boy, come sit with Mommy and we'll look out the window." She said as scooped Henry up and placed him in her lap facing the window.
Henry glanced back over his shoulder at where Uncle Spence was seated on the aisle. "Unca 'pence you wook out da window wit me an Mama?"
JJ moved her arm and lifted the armrest in between her seat and Henry's. "Yeah, come on Spence." She grinned. "Come and look out the window with Henry and me."
Spence shook his head as he reached down and unbuckled his seatbelt and then slid over into Henry's seat. He wrapped his arm around JJ and rested his chin on her shoulder as they all three looked out the window together.
"Do you think Henry was more excited about the plane ride or about seeing Daddy again?" JJ asked with a laugh as she thought about how happy the reunion between Will and Henry had been.
Henry had been a non-stop chatterbox as he told his Daddy about the flight. Will had listened in amusement. The excitement over seeing Daddy again had eased the separation between mother and son when it was time for JJ and Spence to head back to the New Orleans International airport from dropping Henry off with Will for the next leg of their trip.
JJ, of course, felt more secure about this trip knowing that Henry was safe and cared for staying with Will in New Orleans. She hoped that they wouldn't run into anything unexpected during the business portion of their trip, but to be honest she wasn't sure what to expect. They had to be prepared for anything. She suspected that was part of why her boss had sugested Spence coming with, what better cover story was there where they were going, than lovers taking a romantic trip?
"Mm" JJ moaned as she buried her face against Spence's chest and used the available space to get comfortable. "If we can sleep most of the rest of the flight, with the time change it will feel like sleeping in."
Spence nodded as he ran his fingers through the ends of JJ's hair. "A ten hour flight and a six hour time difference do tend to have that effect don't they?" he said as he leaned down and kissed the top of his girlfriend's head.
"Mm hm" JJ murmured sleepily, "but, the jet lag when we get back home is going to be horrible."
The rest of their flight passed quickly as JJ and Spence slept off and on, whispering quietly to each other when they were awake, so as not to wake their neighbors.
As the plane touched down, they set about gathering their belonging and filling out the customs declaration form. As she filled in her form, her mind wander back to just a few days ago when her boss had called her at home, prompting this whole adventure.
JJ flashed her credentials at the security checkpoint as she entered the ring of the Pentagon where her office was located. She moved quickly down the hall, wanting to meet with her boss, do what needed to be done, and get home to Henry and Spence.
She knocked on the door frame to her boss' office where he sat bent over some paperwork and then waited for him to glance up.
At the sound of the knock at his open office door, JJ's boss turned to look. "JJ, come on in and have a seat." He said gesturing to the chairs on the opposite side of his desk. "I'm sorry to have pulled you away from your family this evening." He said as JJ seated herself in the chair and crossed her legs, her sneaker clad food dangling from beneath the frayed hem of her favorite pair of jeans.
"Sir?" JJ questioned curiously as she tipped her head attempting to read the situation.
Her boss steepled his hands and rested his fingertips against his lips as he gathered his thoughts. "I'm sure I don't have to remind you of how long it's been since Boston?" he asked, knowing full well that the women before him was aware of exactly how long it had been.
JJ's brow crinkled in confusion. "No, sir."
Her boss nodded. "I've just been made aware that the…" Here he paused. Under normal circumstances he would use the word operative or perhaps asset; however, this was personal to JJ and sounded harsh even to his own ears so to speak, "person in question is well enough to travel."
JJ's eyebrows rose on her forehead. While she'd made it known that she would appreciate being kept apprised of the 'person in question's' health and status, she certainly hadn't expected for it to actually happen.
"The documents and bank accounts have all been arranged." He said as he held up a sealed natural tone envelope. "I think due to the trauma and suddenness of the events in question, perhaps the person in question receiving their documents and information from a friendly face will help soften the blow." he replied with a smile, glad that for once he was in a position to soften the blow for an Agent who needed to go undercover by sending a friendly face to the meet with the documents for their new life.
"Sir, are you saying that…" JJ trailed off unsure of how to continue. From what she knew and had seen in her time at the Pentagon something like this was unheard of.
JJ's boss smiled. "I hear Paris is lovely in the spring time. Perhaps you should take your boyfriend and make a week of it?" He paused in thought for a moment. "Since your cover for you and your boyfriend would be you going to Paris for a vacation, you can't enter the country using your official passport; you'll need to use your tourist passport. And since you're entering the country on a tourist passport, we can't have you carrying a diplomatic pouch. We have a diplomatic courier meet you in you in Paris. That is of course assuming that your boyfriend would be able to accompany you?"
"I um, would have to check sir." JJ stammered as her mind reeled at that fact that she and Spence could see Emily one more time before Emily disappeared into her undercover life until Doyle was found. She bit her lip to fight back a gasp as she realized that Spence would get an opportunity to say goodbye, or perhaps more appropriately see you later.
"JJ, beautiful, we need to get going. We're holding up everyone else." Spence murmured in her ear, distracting her from her thoughts.
"Oh, sorry, I got lost in my thoughts." JJ replied and then grabbed her purse off her seat, slinging it over her shoulder as she reached out and took her carryon bag from Spence.
"It's okay." Spence replied in understanding of how much must be on his girlfriend's mind. The last couple of days must have been a whirlwind for her.
"Hey you" JJ said softly as she padded stocking foot into the living room, having just gotten home from the Pentagon at a little after midnight. "Couldn't sleep?" she asked as she took in the sight of her boyfriend in his sleepwear lounging on her couch as he watched CNN.
Spence shook his head. "I tried, but my mind was just racing over whatever it was that you called about earlier."
JJ nodded and then yawned. "Henry slept the whole time?"
Spence nodded in reply. "Yeah, I checked on him a few times."
JJ smiled softly at the thought of how parental in nature Spence was becoming with Henry. Then she held out her hand to him. "Come on baby let's go to bed and I'll fill you in as much as I can on what's going on."
"So we get to see Emily?" Spence asked after JJ explained the reason for the call from her boss as well as the fact that she'd already spoken to Hotch and gotten the approval for him to have the time off.
JJ nodded, her chin rubbing against Spence's chest where it rested. "Yes, but we can't call her by name when we see her. We'll get to see her Spence, but only for a few minutes… if that. We pass her the documents and that's it. She'll leave and go undercover."
Spence slid his hand up and down, rubbing JJ's back. "Yeah, but we get to see her. We get to see that she's okay… and there's some comfort in that."
JJ nodded and then bit her lip. "You know that we can't really say that we're going to Paris to meet with Emily right? That a vacation has to be our cover… even with the team?"
Spence nodded. "Its part of pretending Emily really is dead."
JJ nodded and smiled sadly at Spence. "I wish we could tell them… maybe we can find a way to tell them without telling them. We'll figure it out later, especially since Pen is going to be pissed that we can't do our Tuesday breakfast. We're pretty much all set. I talked to Will about flying Henry down to visit him for the week… he didn't really ask any questions; he was too excited about an opportunity to spend time with Henry. All of our travel arrangements are made…" JJ trailed off as she yawned.
Spence nodded. "You're right. We'll figure something out, but for now, we should get some sleep." Spence said as he reached over across JJ and turned off the bedside lamp. Now that they were leaving for Paris the day after tomorrow, there would be a lot to do tomorrow.
By late morning local Paris time, JJ and Spence were strolling arm in arm down the Champs Elysees towards L'Arc de Triomphe. They stopped and had lunch at a small café before continuing on their walking tour of Paris. After lunch, they took a peaceful walk along the Seine, stopping to rest at the occasional bench as the enjoyed the romantic views. Mid-afternoon found them at Notre Dame Cathedral.
"It's so amazing to see the sense of history surrounding us." Spence explained excitedly as they walked up to the cathedral and he pointed out the gargoyles on the roof. "Just think JJ. Napoleon had the Arc de Triomphe built. It houses France's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier for World War I. So much of what we've seen today has so much history. Construction was started on Notre Dame in 1163 and it wasn't completed until 1345. The average life expectancy was approximately fifty years. We're looking at a masterpiece that took almost four lifetimes to complete."
JJ stared in awe at the gothic beauty before her. At almost 200 years to complete, Spence was right; the Notre Dame had quite literally been the work of four lifetimes… and hundreds if not thousands of workers working towards a common goal. When was the last time anyone in the modern age could lay claim to such an accomplishment? The politicians and bureaucrats that she negotiated and dealt with on a daily basis more often than not couldn't agree on what to get for lunch, let alone commit to a plan that would be 200 years in the making.
"It's quite fortunate that Notre Dame was completed when it was." Spence mused. "The bubonic plague broke out all across Europe in 1348 and by the time it was over about a year later one third of the population was dead."
JJ studied Spence's face as he gazed at the ornate carvings, arched doorways, and flying buttresses while reminding her of her world history classes from high school and college.
"With the shortage of labor that was caused by the fall in population, it's a statistical probability that Notre Dame wouldn't have been completed if it wasn't finished prior to the Black Plague ravaging Europe." Spence said thoughtfully.
'What they said about Paris in the springtime was very true' JJ thought as she stood on the highest platform of the Eiffel Tower wrapped in Spence's arms as they watched the sunset. She was glad for the light jacket she'd worn when they left the hotel as her purple silk scarf fluttered in the breeze. She smiled as she turned and pressed her cheek into Spence's purple scarf where it rested against his chest as she drew his arms tighter about herself.
Spence kissed the top of JJ's head as she nestled more snuggly into his arms, and then smiled contentedly as he rested his forehead on the crown of JJ's head. He jumped slightly as a stranger walked up next to them and cleared his throat.
"Excuse me miss, but I believe you dropped this just over there." The man said as he held out thick sealed padded envelope.
JJ bit her lip to keep from smiling at the diplomatic courier who she knew quite well, having worked with him on a number of occasions now. She focused on keeping a neutral expression on her face. "Oh, thank you." she replied as she reached out and took the package from him and placed it in her bag.
"You're very welcome. Have a good night." He replied with a nod of his head and then turned to walk away, taking the elevator down from the platform.
JJ and Spence stood for a while longer, watching the sun sink below the horizon and city below them light up as far as they could see. JJ glanced down at her watch and then tipped her head back to look at Spence. "We need to get going baby."
Spence nodded, releasing JJ as she stepped out of his arms and took his hand. They turned and headed for the elevator. They had someone waiting to meet them just a few blocks away.
Emily sat at an outdoor table at the café she'd been instructed to meet the contact at to collect the papers and documents she would for her time in hiding. She found herself unable to focus on the newspaper in her hands and unable to stomach the full cup of coffee that sat on the table next to her.
All she wanted was to be able to go home, to be able to tell her friends that she was alive… not quite 100 percent well yet, but she was alive. Instead she was here in Paris preparing to… well she supposed you couldn't really say leave the life of Emily Prentiss behind. She'd already had to do that. She'd been informed of her own death when she woke up in Bethesda a little over a month ago. It was a surreal experience to read your own obituary in the newspaper. She couldn't move forward and she couldn't go back. Moving forward meant letting go of her old life and starting anew, and that wasn't something that she was prepared to do. She couldn't go back to her life as long as Doyle was in the wind. And where did that leave her? In limbo.
It was all she could do to fight back the surprise on her face and avoid jumping up to wrap her arms around the not one, but two familiar faces that approached the table where she sat as she lowered her newspaper.
As they approached the small café table, JJ slid into the chair opposite Emily and pulled her bag into her lap. She squeezed Spence's hand before releasing it to reach in her bag and pull out the envelope they were here to deliver.
As JJ pulled her hand free of his, Spence rested his hand on her back as he stood at her side. For the first time in six weeks, he looked at Emily sitting in front of him. He could see the toll the last few months had placed on her. She looked worn and exhausted. He supposed she was still healing. Massive trauma like she'd suffered could sometimes take months to recover from. Her hair different, but then she needed to change her appearance. Emily might be sitting alive and well right in front of him, but he still couldn't acknowledge that it was her. He couldn't hug her and tell her he'd missed her. He couldn't tell her he was glad that she'd survived. He realized in that moment that having the opportunity to say goodbye was sometimes just as painful as people just disappearing from your life… even if they said goodbye, the person you cared about would still be gone and there would still be an empty place in your life where they used to be.
Emily could feel Reid's penetrating gaze on her, as if she was under a microscope, as she focused on JJ.
"Passports from three different countries and a bank account in each one to keep you comfortable." JJ explained as she pulled the sealed packet of documents out of her bag and laid it on top of Emily's newspaper.
Emily looked sadly between JJ and Reid as she reached for and picked up the envelope. "Thank you" she said to JJ.
"Good luck." JJ replied softly with a nod of her head.
Emily nodded silently in response and then lifted her gaze to look at Reid. "I'm sorry." She said realizing now that Reid was standing in front of her, just what exactly she had decided to put her friends through by going off on her own after Doyle.
Spence nodded. "Good…" he paused unable to finish the word goodbye. It was too final. He'd see Emily again. He didn't know where and he didn't know when, but someday, hopefully sooner rather than later they'd find a way to catch Doyle and Emily would come home. "…luck. Be Safe." He finished, swallowing thickly, the emotion of the moment and the last several weeks catching up with him.
The woman formerly known as Emily Prentiss nodded and the stood up from her seat, tucked her free hand into her trench coat pocket, and turned and walked down Rue L'Universite in the seventh arrondissement of Paris towards the Eiffel Tower and her future as whichever one of the three identities in the sealed envelope she carried that she decided to be today.
For a brief moment JJ and Spence turned and watched Emily walk away, both of them realizing that this might be the last time they see her for quite some time. Both of them, however, silently gave thanks that Emily was still alive to be seen in the future. As Emily reached the middle of the street JJ turned to look up at Spence. "Are you okay?" she asked softly, taking his hand in hers and pulling him down close to her.
Spence nodded silently in response his chin brushing against her ear.
"You should sit down. We need to stay here for a little bit just to watch to make sure no one was following her." JJ murmured in his ear as she nodded at the now vacant chair across the table from her and then kissed him softly before he stood back up. "I love you."
"I love you too JJ." He responded, his voice breaking slightly as he sat down across from her and they held hands across the table, speaking softly to one another with their heads bent low together over the table, just like any other couple spending a romantic evening out in Paris.
"Do we have everything?" JJ asked as she and Spence gathered their luggage and belongings in preparation to board their train as it came to a stop in front of them.
Spence nodded. "We do and I've got our tickets." He replied, anticipating JJ's next question as he slipped his arm around her waist as they watched the train slow down to a stop in front of the platform.
JJ turned her head and smiled at Spence. Last night had been emotion filled for both of them. It had been hard to see Emily, one of their very best friends, again and not be able to acknowledge that they so much as knew her. She and Spence had both shed tears when they got back to their hotel room, so much so that they had basically cried themselves to sleep in each other's arms.
Dreariness had settled in over Paris by morning. The overcast skies threatened a drenching onslaught of rain at any moment, so they'd decided to spend their day inside at the Louvre enjoying the masterpieces housed there.
Now they stood on the train platform, preparing to board their night train to Nice. They were spending the next few days in the Cote D'Azur, or the French Riviera as most Americans knew it. Quite frankly, JJ couldn't wait to see Spence's face when he saw the bikini she'd packed. She'd have to remember to ask Pen to look up the best beaches to go to when she called to apologize about not being able to make it to their usual Tuesday breakfast this week tomorrow. She didn't want to interrupt any plans that Pen might have for the weekend.
JJ smiled at Spence from her spot on the lower berth of their compartment of the sleeper car as he came out of the bathroom in his pajamas.
"Oh, I see how it is" Spence joked as he returned her smile. "Since I'm taller I have to sleep in the top bunk."
JJ quirked an eyebrow at him, "Well, naturally. You wouldn't have nearly as far to fall as I do."
"I'd be falling sideways, so I'd fall just as far and you, plus I have a lot more to hit on the way down." Spence replied as he took in the top berth and the ladder that he would need to climb. His eyes grew as he contemplated the contortion that it might require to get up into bed.
JJ bit her lip to keep from laughing as she watched her boyfriend's face. "You know Spence, if you share with me you won't have to figure out how to get up in the top bunk," JJ said with a wink, "or worry about falling."
Spence grinned wryly, "Is that so?"
"Mm hm" JJ responded with a nod. "Don't worry baby I'll protect you from the big bad floor." JJ giggled.
Spence double checked the lock and chain on the door of their sleeping compartment and then shuffled his bare feet across the floor as he moved to join JJ in bed. He ducked his head as he sat on the edge and looked at JJ expecting her to move over to make room for him.
JJ patted the space between her and that wall. "How am I supposed to protect you from the floor if you sleep on the edge of the bed?" she teased.
Spence shook his head again and leaned across his girlfriend's body as he climbed further into the sleeping berth and the spot between her and the wall.
"Comfy?" she asked with a smile on her face as she looked down at him.
Spence nodded and then raised his hand to cover his mouth as he yawned.
"Good. Goodnight Spence." JJ murmured as she leaned down to kiss Spence goodnight. Then she scooted down in the sleeping berth and snuggled up against her boyfriend in their smaller than usual sleeping arrangements. She sighed and let her eyes drift shut as Spence wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer to him.
JJ moaned softy as she woke up. She blinked as she attempted to take in the area around her. It was dark and clearly the middle of the night still. It was pitch black and they were moving… That's right; they were on the night train to Nice in a sleeper car. Remembering where they were, she relaxed and became more aware of her surroundings. Spence was pressed up against her back and breathing softly in her ear. Then she noticed a slight hitch in his breathing and a soft moan escaped his lips brushing past the shell of her ear.
Spence was having a lovely dream about spending time with JJ while they teased each other.
JJ twisted her head to look at Spence and was glad to see even though he was moaning that he appeared to still be sleeping peacefully. She hoped he was having sweet dreams. Then she gasped softly as his hand on her waist slid up under them hem of her t-shirt and began tracing light teasing patterns on her belly. She bit her lip as his hand continued to explore her stomach, not wanting to wake him up as he needed his sleep. He so rarely got a good night's sleep lately.
JJ closed her eyes, hoping that Spence's hand stopped soon. Sleep was now the last thing on her mind, but she was afraid that if she pulled Spence's hand away that he'd wake up. 'Fuck' she silently cursed as her boyfriend's lithe fingertips traced the edge of her pajama pants. She couldn't help but squirm in frustration as his fingers slipped inside her pajama pants.
Spence woke to the feeling of JJ wiggling against him. He blinked as his mind attempted to separate his bliss filled dream from reality. Then he realized that much like his dream, he arms were wrapped around his girlfriend and she was wiggling in his grasp, if not quite writhing like she had been in his dream. Then he realized where his hand was and let out a deep throaty moan as his fingers explored and tangled in her curls. "JJ, babe you're…. mmmmmm so warm and wet."
JJ's eyes snapped open at the realization that Spence was awake. "Sorry baaaaby" JJ squealed as Spence's fingers grazed a particularly sensitive spot. "I didn't…. oh god… didn't …. Oh…" JJ's tipped back, the crown of her head resting against her boyfriend's collar bone. "didn't want to mmmmm….. wake you up."
Spence chuckled as his nose teased the shell of his girlfriend's ear. "It's okay. I definitely wouldn't want to miss this."
"God baby….so good with your hands" JJ panted, twisting to bury her face in her boyfriend's neck.
Spence continued the lazy circles and random patterns that his fingers were drawing on JJ's sensitive flesh. "That's the reward for being in love with a magician," Spence whispered as he twisted his wrist, "we're very good with our hands." He leaned in capturing JJ's mouth with his as his fingers quickened their stoke.
"Ah" was all that JJ managed to gasp before Spence swallowed her cries of pleasure as she was overtaken by an orgasm, her back bowing and her pelvis pressing more firmly into her boyfriend's exploring hand.
Spence continued to stroke softly, bringing JJ down from her peak, watching as her eyelids fluttered and then opened revealing the deep blue pools that he loved so much. Then he slid his hand out of her pajama pants and rested his hand on her belly.
"Wow… that must have been some dream you were having." JJ said as she twisted and lay on her back instead of her side. She ran her hand up and down Spence's chest, allowing her fingers to trail slowly over the soft cotton of his t-shirt.
"It was…" Spence trailed off as JJ's fingers lightly trailed the waistband of his pajama pants, "JJ what… oooooohhh" he groaned as his girlfriend's hand slipped under the waistband and she wrapped her fingers around him.
"Shhh" JJ murmured as she pressed her lips to his neck.
Spence whined softly as his girlfriend multi-tasked. While her fingers stroked and cupped him, her lips, tongue, and teeth teased, sucked, and laved on his pulse point. Blood thundered in his ears as he panted to catch his breath.
JJ pulled her hand out of Spence's pajama pants and pressed her hands against his trembling abs, her finger nails lightly scratching as she drug her hands up his belly.
Spence struggled for a moment to raise his arms over his head in the tight confines of the lower sleeping berth as JJ pulled his t-shirt up his chest and over his head, throwing it behind her onto the floor of their compartment. Mere seconds later, JJ's t-shirt joined Spence's on the floor.
"Spence, baby….mmmm" JJ moaned, enjoying the feeling of Spence pressed close as he rolled on top of her, their naked chests pressed and rubbing against each other as they kissed, their make-out session heating up as their hands roamed each other's bodies.
Spence's hands settled on his girlfriend's hips, his fingers trailing under the waistband as he pushed down and guided her pajama pants down her firm tone thighs.
JJ lifted her hips and then pulled her legs free of her pajama pants once Spence had them pushed down to her knees. Her hands wrapped around his chest, under his arms, and slid down his back. She wiggled her hands under the waistband of his pants, cupping and squeezing his tight little backside as they necked and he pressed more firmly against her naked body.
Spence moaned and flexed his hips into JJ's thigh as her fingers kneaded and squeezed his posterior. "JJ, babe…. Oh god." He moaned as her fingernails lightly scratched him.
JJ giggled and nibbled her way playfully across his jawline to his chin as he lifted his head to look at her. "I think these are just in the way, don't you?" JJ whispered as pulled the waistband of his pants away from his waist by lifting her arms slightly, her hands still firmly gripping her boyfriend's very fine ass.
"uh huh" Spence grunted, lifting himself up on his forearms above JJ so that she had room to push down his pajama pants.
"Looks like someone else agrees too" JJ joked as she glanced down between them to where Spence's erection bobbed free from his pajama pants as she pushed them down.
JJ pushed Spence's pajama pants down as far as she could reach with her arms and then lifted her leg and used her foot to push them down the remainder of the way until Spence was able to kick his feet free.
"JJ…mmm….love you" Spence moaned as he lowered himself back into JJ's embrace and kissed her shoulder, trailing kisses across her collar bone and then up her neck as he buried his face in her golden mane of hair, inhaling deeply, his breath rushing past the shell of her ear, causing her to shiver. "Are you okay?"
"More than okay" JJ replied, turning her head to catch the deep brown of her boyfriend's eyes as she luxuriated in the feeling of them pressed together. Between Spence being gone on the team's last case, the rush to prepare for their trip, the actual traveling, and then meeting with Emily last night… it had been awhile since they'd had time alone together like this and not been too exhausted to enjoy it like they were now. "What?" she asked as she took in the expression on Spence's face.
"I was just wondering what you were thinking." He replied as he trailed the backs of his fingers down her arm and eliciting another small shiver from his girlfriend.
JJ gave him a beautiful smile as she ran her hands up and down his back while also shifting to press against his groin. "I was just thinking about you and me…. Together just like this… and how much I enjoy it. I love you."
Spence's face lit up as he smiled. "I love you too." He replied as he lowered his lips to JJ's. He moaned as she sucked on his lower lip. Then he traced the tip of his tongue along the crease of her lips, begging entrance to the sweet haven of her mouth.
JJ raised a hand to thread through the back of Spence's hair, gripping his head and holding him close as their tongues tangled in a passionate tango.
As they kissed Spence's hands roamed the soft silky landscape of his girlfriend's naked body. One hand paused to cup her breast and run his thumb over the hardened peak of her nipple, enjoying the low throaty moan of appreciation he received from JJ for his effort. His other hand slid down her side, pausing to caress her hip, and then moved on to the creamy supple skin of her thigh. He traced random patterns on her thigh as their kiss grew more heated and he shifted his hips to settle into the cradle of her thighs. He ran his fingers lightly down the inside of her thigh, knowing how sensitive she was there.
JJ's hips twitched involuntarily as Spence's erection brushed against the exposed flesh of her nether region. "Oh, Spence" she moaned in a needy manner. "Baby, please…"
Spence rested his forehead against JJ's looking in her eyes as he reached down and adjusted himself to line up with his girlfriend's entrance. He held her gaze with his as he pressed forward with his hips.
JJ's eyes searched the depths of Spence's gorgeous brown eyes, her fingers twitching and twisting through the soft locks on the back of his head as she felt him slide in every delicious inch.
After giving JJ a moment to adjust, Spence lifted his forehead from hers. "Are you okay?"
JJ nodded. The fingers of one hand continued to play with his hair, while her other hand gripped his bicep.
At JJ's nodded response, he lowered his head and kissed her again as he pulled out slowly. He kissed her chin as he entered her slowly again, and then swept a trail of feather lite kisses along her neck and collar bone as he set a tantalizingly slow pace.
JJ's fingers flexed at the back of Spence's head. As he sought and found her pert nipple with his lips, her back arched forward pressing her eager breasts closer.
Spence swirled his tongue wantonly around the bud, pausing occasionally to nuzzle and place random kisses and then he kissed his way across the valley in between JJ's breasts and showed his affection to her other breast.
JJ bucked her hips, attempting to speed up the rhythm; however, Spence was determined to draw out their coupling and maintained a slow languid pace as he continued to worship at the altar of his girlfriend's body. He hands stoked light teasing strokes over her skin. His lips continued to press soft, light kisses to her chest and breasts, and that combined with slow, hypnotic pace of his hips was taxing JJ's sanity.
Spence trained all of his focus and concentration on JJ's reaction as he slowly swiveled his hips, drawing out every motion for extreme pleasure. The sound of their heavy breathing was the only sound for several moments.
"Spence baby… please… harder… faster…." JJ panted as her internal muscles gripped him. She used her grip on his head to drag him up into a kiss tearing a gasp of surprise from his lips.
Spence buried his face in JJ's neck as he complied with her wishes. He groaned into her neck as she blew in his ear and nibbled on his earlobe.
JJ met Spence thrust for thrust, grinding against him, working to get the most out of each stroke as their bodies pressed together, carrying each other towards the peak.
Sensing that JJ was close, he slipped one hand between them while his other hand brushed her hair back from her face so he could see her beautiful blue eyes. He worked his thumb over her nub in rhythmic cycles in time with the thrusting of his hips. He watched in awe as JJ fell apart in his arms as she crested the rise of an orgasm.
He slowed his pace as he watched the flush spread across JJ's skin, giving her a moment to catch her breath. They kissed languidly and whispered I love yous as the next wave of emotion, hormones, and orgasm swelled between them. This time they crested the wave together. JJ's toes curled as she tossed her head back breathlessly. Spence's toes gripped the mattress and his back bowed as nature took over in its ageless dance causing his hips to twitch as they pressed as close as possible to JJ's.
Spence lay gasping for breath against JJ's shoulder as she ran her fingers through his hair, causing it to stick up at odd angles. Their hands caressed each other lovingly as they came down from their highs.
JJ smiled and pressed a kiss to Spence's forehead as he yawned. It was after all, still the middle of the night and she was glad he was going to be able to get some more sleep. She moaned "Nooooo" as he moved off of her, missing the comfortable warm weight on top of her as he moved beside her.
"JJ, I'll hurt you if I spend the rest of the night sleeping on top of you." he murmured sleepily.
JJ pouted as she turned to look at him. "Fine, but you owe me."
"Mm hm… whatever you want…" Spence replied in a sleepy tone as tangled his legs with his girlfriends and snuggled back up to her side.
JJ grinned. "I hope you know I'm going to hold you too that."
Spence nodded. Then, he fumbled behind him for the blankets they'd thrown off a little while ago and covered them up and then wrapped his arms around her, pausing to kiss her and tell her he loved her. Then he drifted off to sleep for a second time that night.
JJ watched the peaceful expression on Spence's face as he slept for a few moments, then she too closed her eyes and allowed sleep to come. She was however, glad that she'd set the alarm on her phone so that they could be up and ready in plenty of time before the train reached Nice.
"Thank you for calling the lair of technical omnipotence, home to eighth wonder of the world, Penelope Garcia. Let me count the ways to dazzle you." Garcia said as sat her large cup of deliciously brewed and mixed to perfection coffee down on her desk as she answered her phone.
The screens in front of her spoke of more horror going on in Lake Worth North Carolina than her cheerful blue sweater and chipper yellow dress could fend off. What could possibly cause a young girl in the age group of this victim to plunge off a roadside cliff? The sick feeling in her stomach told her that they'd all find out more than they could possibly want to know.
Then she glanced at the caller ID on her phone and notice it was none other than Goldilocks. "Peaches tell me that you too, are taking some time off, and that you've sequestered yourself and gorgeous gray matter away from the world so that you can spend some time doing deliciously decadent things to each other." Pen said into the phone as she twirled a purple feather laden pen between her fingers at the thought of her favorite couple spending some quality time together. "Ooooo promise that you'll give me all the carnally pleasing dets tomorrow over breakfast."
JJ laughed and shook her head, then lifted the hand that was holding Spence's as they strolled through Nice to look at her watch, and then did the mental math to convert from local time in Nice to local time in Quantico. "Pen, its only 7:30 am on Monday morning. How many cups of coffee have you had so far this morning?" JJ asked her eyes twinkling with humor as she turned to look at Spence.
"I'm still on my first cup, granted it's a large cup, but don't think you distracted me into forgetting about asking for details tomorrow peaches." Pen said playfully.
"Actually, that's what I called about. I won't be able to do breakfast tomorrow." JJ replied.
"Oooo what's got you all tied up tomorrow? Oh! Please tell me that being tied up is literal. You're living out that fantasy with the handcuffs right?" Garcia said conspiratorially into the phone.
"Garcia!" JJ admonished and then blushed as she glanced at Spence and then away again. Damn the fact that she and Emily had once played truth or dare with one Penelope Garcia on a girls night not too long ago. "No… I… we're in France for a few more days, so I can't really do breakfast tomorrow, but…"
"Wait, hold up buttercup. Reid spirited you away to France for a romantic vacation? That's why he's taking time off? Very nice... and I still want details." Pen replied with a wiggle of her eyebrows.
"Actually, you could kind of say that I spirited him away." JJ said as she winked at Spence and squeezed his hand. "And I'm not giving you details. You'd share with Morgan." JJ giggled as Spence mouthed 'thank you' at her.
"Aww…. You're no fun… no fun at all." Pen pouted.
"What do you need details from me for? You have Kevin." JJ replied.
"My Kevie is a sweetie... but there is just a certain thrill to be hard from girl talk. You know?"
JJ smiled as she remembered some of the girls' nights and girl talk from over the year of her friendship with Pen in both lives. "Yeah, I do Pen... but there are some things that you just don't share." JJ said and then mouthed 'I love you' at Spence.
Spence smiled and leaned in and kissed JJ on the cheek and then whispered "I love you too." in her ear.
Pen sighed. "Okay… but you do realize sometime, someday, someway, I will eventually get at least a smidgeon of details out of you Goldilocks. But for now I shall cease and desist. So what do you and brainy lover boy have planned for the next few days?"
"We're spending the rest of our time here on the French Riviera so we'll probably spend some time at the beach and maybe go to the Monte Carlo?" JJ said in a questioning voice as she turned to look up at Spence. She smiled as she saw Spence's face light up at the thought of gambling at the world famous casino.
"The beach you say?" Pen grinned as she held back her maniacal laughter. "That sounds like a lovely way to spend a day. Have you picked out which one you're going to go to?"
"No… I just planned on asking the front desk of the hotel which was the best and safest." JJ replied.
"Oh, mon amie, allow my fingers to do the walking for you." Pen replied with an evil grin on her face.
JJ laughed as she followed Spence down the path to the beach. "I promise I brought sun screen. I'll make sure to reapply for you as much as you need. You won't burn." She tugged playfully on his hand.
"Eeep!" Spence squealed, dropping the blanket and towels that he was carrying and covering his eyes with his hand as he stopped in the middle of the path.
"Oooomph" the air rushed out of JJ's lungs as she ran into Spence's back where he stopped short on the path.
"JJ… I um… hope you have an awful lot of sunscreen packed in your bag." He said as he peeked out from between his fingers.
"Baby, what are you talking about?" JJ asked as she put her hands on his waist to regain her balance and peeked around his side. "Oh my!" JJ exclaimed in surprise. There, before them on the beach was every variety of shape and size of male and female anatomy on display au natural. "Pen is not allowed to pick date venues for us anymore." JJ said as she buried her face in Spence's back.
"I agree." Spence replied as bent over with his eyes still covered and fumbled to pick up the blanket and towels that he'd dropped. "So, erm... back to the beach at the hotel?" he asked as he turned around, opening his eyes once he was facing his girlfriend.
JJ nodded and turned around, leading Spence back the way they had come on the path.
They'd gotten back to the hotel and decided to just use the pool instead of chancing it with another beach. JJ and Spence had taken turns slathering each other down with sun screen. Now JJ was soaking up some Mediterranean sun as Spence took a dip in the pool to cool off.
"Baby, your cell phone's ringing." JJ called out to him as he neared the end of the pool where their lounge chairs were located. JJ enjoyed not only the view of her boyfriend climbing out of the pool and the way it accentuated the lean muscle of his frame, but also the way that even though his swim trunks covered far more than the speedos and banana hammocks that most of the other men at the pool were wearing, Spence was still getting checked out by several of the women in the area.
Spence crossed the pool deck to their lounge chairs in a few long strides and picked up a towel and quickly dried his face and hands as JJ held his cell phone out to him. "Reid" he answered.
"Hey pretty boy!" Morgan's voice came across the phone. "Havin' a good time off with your pretty girl?"
"Hey Morgan. I know you didn't just call me to see how my time off is. What's up man?"
"I just need to bounce some ideas of you for this case man…" Morgan said as he started to fill Reid in on the case in Lake Worth and everything that they had so far for evidence.
"It sounds like somebody's framing Talbot." Reid said after hearing all the details Morgan had.
Morgan nodded on the other end of the phone. "That's what I thought too. He's too smart to just leave evidence lyin' around. Thanks for listening to me kid… and enjoy your time off man. Live a little and have some fun… you've earned it. You deserve it and hopefully it helps your headaches."
"Thanks man. See you in a few days." Reid said as he hung up the phone.
"Sounds like a bad one." JJ said as she sat up and looked at Spence with her arms resting on her knees.
"They're all bad ones, JJ." Spence sighed as he looked up at JJ.
"I know baby." JJ said as she reached across the gap between their lounge chairs and rested her hand on his. "You know that nobody blames you for not being there to help out the team right?"
Spence glanced up at her with wide eyes. "How did you…"
"Because I know you baby." JJ said softly. "And nobody thinks any less of you for taking time off while the rest of the team is working." She paused giving him a moment to let that sink in. "I don't know about you, but I think I've had enough sun for right now. How about we go shower, change, and get something to eat?"
Spence nodded and helped JJ pack up their things. Then he held her bag for her while she tied her sarong back around her waist.
JJ smiled and paused to lean up to kiss Spence as he opened the door of their rental car for her. They'd spent the evening out in Monaco. They'd gone for dinner and then much to her amusement; she got to watch her boyfriend break the bank at the Monte Carlo casino.
Spence headed around the hood of the car, pausing to tip the valet before he climbed back in the car.
"Spence?" JJ asked as she turned in her seat to look at him.
"Yeah?" Spence asked keeping his eyes on the road as he edged the car into traffic and headed for Nice.
"Are you going to tell me, now that you broke the bank at the Monte Carlo, why you were so excited to gamble? We can go to the casino when we go visit your Mom if you want." JJ said as she rested her head against the seat.
Spence smiled and glanced at JJ. "Actually, we can't. I've been banned from the casinos in Las Vegas, Laughlin, and Pahrump for counting cards."
JJ laughed. "Of course you have, although I can see why. I'm pretty sure that the Monte Carlo is glad you aren't local baby."
JJ sagged tiredly against Spence as she rang Will's doorbell. She'd been right; the jet lag on the way home did suck. Then she smiled… it was totally worth it though, not only for the time away, but also to see Emily and know that she was well on her way back to being healthy.
"Tired?" Spence murmured as he rubbed her back.
"Yeah, but I'm excited to see Henry again, I really missed him." JJ replied.
"Me too" Spence replied. "It was really nice of Will to offer to let us stay here for the night before our flight home tomorrow too. What do you suppose that means?"
"I'm hoping it means that he's moved on." JJ replied softly at the sound of approaching footsteps on the other side of the door. If she wasn't mistaken, they sounded distinctly like high heels.
JJ and Spence looked up as the front door opened.
"No…" Spence murmured.
"…freakin…'" JJ uttered.
"…way!" finished a female voice from the doorway.